The Perfect Thing
by ADI2DE
Summary: SPOILER (?) WARNING: Based loosely off of something from 6.01, but really, it's just about an irritating salesperson with a Dov-like man-crush, a tipsy canoe, and two idiots who are in madly in love. 100% McSwarek...


**Welcome to "The Perfect Thing", another "fluffy" one-shot to help get you through season 6. Now, it's not as throw-up worthy as the last one, but it still has some fluff, and it's still pretty light-hearted, so I hope it helps a little bit anyway. And, it MIGHT become a two-shot because of the way I ended this one, but I'm not sure yet. I also suppose you could say that it is a prequel to "White Whale", IF you want to think of them being connected. Either way, I don't think it really makes a difference.**

 **Oh, and since I'm sure sure the Andy Basher will be reading this one-shot too, I have to say, welcome back! I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away for too long. While you were gone though, you missed the ending of "Finding Our Way". It's done now, so I just thought I should let you know because I know how much you LOVE that story. Anyway, I know you and your... "friend", won't find this one-shot quite up to par, so if I make it a two-shot, don't worry, I'll make it extra special just for you.** **Just be warned, you might need to visit the dentist after because of all the fluff/sweetness, but I know how much you crave those McSwarek moments... Well, you have a lot of catching up to do, so I'll leave it at that. In the words of Oliver Shaw, "Miss you. Bye. Kiiiiissssses." ;)**

* * *

"Stop," Sam growled, brown orbs wide as he watched the right side of the canoe dip a little closer to the surface of the lake. His heart was thundering in his chest and his knuckles were white from gripping the canoe and paddle so tightly.

Andy froze, one leg mid-air as she attempted to step over the middle bar. "Is that like a ' _Put your hands up before I shoot you'_ type deal?" she asked, mimicking Duncan's voice. "As in, stop or I'll—"

"Seriously?" Sam said, surprised that she was actually cracking a joke about the rookie. Since the kid had come back to 15, she'd barely even acknowledged him. Yet, here she was, kind of looking like a flamingo standing in a canoe, joking around about what she saw as one of her lowest moments as a cop.

She shrugged, then carefully lifted her leg a little higher before lowering it and bringing her other foot over the bar until both feet were firmly planted on his half of the canoe. "Just as ridiculous, right? I mean, the kid isn't normal. Far from it. And, this…" She gestured to their surroundings as she slowly sat down within arm's reach of him, careful not to rock the canoe anymore than was necessary. "It's just water, Sam. It's not gonna hurt. Besides, we're on the lake; we're bound to get wet." She paused as she submerged her hand in the cool water, enjoying the contrast it brought to the heat pouring down on her back. And, for a moment, she allowed herself to close her eyes and just listen to everything around her: the birds chirping, the gentle breeze tugging at the trees and rustling the leaves, the sloshing of water as it hit their canoe. But, that's when it hit her... an idea. A terrible one. An irresistible one. Smile already touching her lips, Andy's eyes sought him out again. "Actually, if—"

"McNally," Sam warned, seeing the mischievous glint in her eyes. _Don't even think about it._

Andy hesitated for a split second before barreling on, knowing full well that he'd get her back. "If you're the Wicked Witch, then…" In one rapid movement, she brought her hand up, splashing him. Then, without really waiting to see his reaction, she adopted a gravelly tone to imitate the Wicked Witch, and with hands flying wilding, said, "You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! Melting!" Then, through a fit of giggles, added, "Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness…"

"McNally," he growled out this time. _Watch it, Andy. A little splash for me now, might mean a dunk for you later._ The nonchalant expression that was now on her face told him that she expected it too. The thought had him inwardly smiling. _Game on._

"I guess you're not the Wicked Witch after all," she said with another small shrug as she dried her wet hand on her shorts. "Wicked, maybe, but unless you have some magic powers that I don't know about...?"

"Real funny," Sam replied as he wiped the water from his face, while simultaneously using his hand to hide a small smile. Truth be told, he'd been messing with her since they'd arrived, feigning mild displeasure over the various outdoor activities she wanted to do, even though he'd been the one to suggest coming to Oliver's cabin. And, really, this was exactly where he wanted to be... with her. Well, maybe not in the middle of the lake in an object that threatened to tip at the slightest movement, but definitely here with Andy by his side. But, he wasn't ready to admit that a city boy actually enjoyed all of _this_. That her presence alone made him enjoy it. And yet, he was fairly certain that she already knew the truth. In any case, it likely accounted for the increase in her teasing over the last few hours in particular, something he found helped pass the time as they drifted aimlessly on the lake. Not that the occasional spell of silence couldn't be enjoyable, but any time there was a break in Andy's allergy to silence, he found his eyes darting in her direction, studying her almost suspiciously, as if her lack of rambling could be equated with her plotting to see to it that he wound up drenched. So, he kept up the façade a little longer, only lowering his hand and looking over at her when he was sure that he could keep a straight face. She was staring back at him expectantly, as if anticipating some kind of big reaction. But, he didn't give it. _My girlfriend's a nut. A loveable nut, but still a nut. And, magical powers? Really? Okay. I'll bite._ "So, magic powers, huh? I take it holy moly doesn't count? Or, what was it that you said the other night?"

Andy rolled her lips together. _That's it? No real reaction to the splash? Fine. You wanna talk, we'll talk. How about..._ "I changed my mind. You aren't the Wicked Witch. You're the Tin Man." _Okay, that sounded harsh, but that's not... I just meant his tough exterior. The too cool, tough guy act that he has around most people._

"I'll be the Tin Man if you're the Scarecrow," he deadpanned.

"Why would...?" She fell silent, mouth agape. _Did he just...?_ "Are you saying I don't have a brain?" _Breathe, Andy_ , she silently chided. _What you said made it seem like he doesn't have a heart, so it's fair. Eye for an eye, right? But is that really what he thinks?_

"Darling, you are an idiot sometimes," Sam replied with a small frown. Noting the sudden shift in her demeanour, he added, "We both are, and you know it."

Andy continued to stare at him, arms now folded across her chest. _So he does think I'm stupid. Great. Guess I must be... Stupid enough to have not noticed in all these years that he thinks I'm a moron._

"Why do you think it took us five years to get here?" Sam said with a pointed look, hesitantly loosening his grip on the canoe and reaching for her. She still wasn't having it. "You have a brain," he said, wondering how he was supposed to get out of the doghouse this time, but really, he wasn't even sure why he was in it and why she seemed to be so upset. _Is the Scarecrow really that bad?_ "A great one." He tugged on her tank top, willing her to come forward so that he wouldn't have to.

No response, verbal or otherwise.

"Andy," he said softly. "You know I love that head of yours. The crazy things in it. Everything about you." He released her shirt and slid his hand up to her chin, letting it linger for just a moment before tilting her head upward. "You're smart, funny, beautiful."

"You called me an idiot." _Let it go. You know he didn't actually mean it. No matter how it sounds, deep down, you know he didn't._

"You called me the Tin Man, and I called _us_ idiots," Sam corrected. He hesitated. _No, wait, I called her the Scarecrow._ He pushed the thought aside and continued. "But, you know what?"

Andy sighed. "What?"

"You're _my_ idiot," he said, noting the way her lips twitched but the smile never really came. "And, being here with you... I've never been this happy." _I guess it was bound to come out sooner or later._

Her expression softened. _I knew he was faking being a grouch_ , she thought, her insides doing a victory dance. Feeling the pad of his thumb slide across her cheek, her brown orbs met his.

"I love you, McNally."

This time her lips curled upward into a smile. "But, the Tin Man..." _Shut up. Don't say anything. We're good._

"The Tin Man isn't here, and neither is the Scarecrow," Sam said, not even sure what he was really talking about anymore, but she seemed to accept it. "Now, can you do that thing with the shoes and get us back to the cabin?"

Andy stared at him in confusion. "Oh, you mean clicking the heels of the ruby slippers?"

"Yeah, whatever."

A small laugh escaped her. "Have you even seen the film or read the novel?"

"No, but Ollie's daughter was in a play once. I think she was a muppet."

"A munchkin?" Andy asked through another fit of giggles.

"Yeah, whatever," Sam said with a shrug. "She was one of those. Heard all about it from Oliver."

All Andy could do was shake her head at him as she tried to quell her laughter.

"So... cabin?"

She rolled her eyes. _Back to this charade, huh? No, I don't think so. Not this time._ "Oh, come on, Sam," she said, giving his shoulder a gentle shove. "You're the one who suggested coming up here, _and_ you just admitted you're happy. So, what was the point in coming if we're not even going to do anything fun?"

"Fun?" he said, one eyebrow arched. "I can think of plenty of fun things to do back at the cabin." He hesitated, then corrected himself. " _In_ the cabin."

A deep blush crept into her cheeks. "You know, we could have just stayed home for that."

This time, he let her see his small smile. He couldn't help it. He'd noticed the change in the use of the word _home,_ more and more recently. It had gone from _hers_ or _his_ to simply _home_. And, although she'd turned down his key, when she used the word, more often than not, it referred to his place. "And be interrupted? I don't think so."

She rolled her eyes. "So you'd much rather complain about water?"

"Maybe I don't like getting wet."

Biting back a grin, Andy teased, "What's a little bit of water when we're in the wilderness?" She paused a beat, then added, "I mean, it's only water; it's not like it's a bear."

It was only in that moment that he realized that both hands had moved back to gripping the canoe, his fingers curled around the sides. _I'm never getting in one of these things again._ Pushing the thought aside, Sam shook his head. "The second we're back on solid ground—"

"You're gonna kiss me?" Andy supplied, gently gnawing down on her lower lip. "Because, you know, bears _can_ swim, soooo don't wait too long…"

Sam's gaze snapped back to the lake, scanning their surroundings.

"Relax. Didn't that guy trick you into buying bear repellent?" Andy asked, her body shaking with silent laughter.

"That cost us $50, McNally," Sam growled.

This time she couldn't stop her lips from curling upward and a small laugh from escaping. "And if we see a bear, it might be worth the $50." She paused for a second. "At least you got something semi-useful." Her mind went back to the week before when they'd gone shopping in preparation for their trip to the cabin.

 _"Remind me why we're here?" Sam asked, ducking his head a little and warily eyeing the store. "I thought we were going to a cabin, not camping."_

 _"We are, but that doesn't mean we don't need to bring anything," Andy said as she unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face him. "I mean, we're going for three weeks, Sam. Do you really want to have to go hunting for a store out in the middle of nowhere because we were stupid and didn't bring something we needed in the first place? Because, personally, I don't wanna waste time doing that. I just want to go there, sit back, relax… And, not think about anything going on here."_

 _Tongue darting to the inside of his cheek, he said, "That's all you wanna do?"_

 _Her cheeks warmed at the thought of what else would likely happen while at the cabin. "Nope," she said after a long moment. Biting back a grin and a laugh, she continued, "I wanna go fishing too."_

 _"Fishing?"_

 _"And hiking, and canoeing."_

 _"So you're looking to spend a lot of time alone, huh?" Sam said, though he knew that he'd probably end up doing it all with her, even if he wasn't the most active or enthusiastic participant._

 _"Nope," Andy said again._

 _He let out a strangled laugh. "Uh… city boy," he finally said, jerking his thumb toward his body._

 _"Worth it," she replied, struggling to stop the smile from coming._

 _"You are," he agreed, his voice soft._

 _"That's not…" she began, but he was already leaning forward and her next words were cut off as his lips met hers. She'd meant that she'd make it worthwhile for him, not necessarily that she was worth it._

 _When they finally broke apart, Sam nodded toward the camping store. "Why don't you go in there, and I'll go—"_

 _She shook her head, heart rate still up a little from the kiss, and her mind still on another one. "How about we both go in there, and then we both go back to your place..." She raised her eyebrows suggestively._

 _"I thought we were going back there anyway?"_

 _Andy pressed her lips together and gave him an innocent shrug. "Guess we'll find out, won't we?"_

 _His eyes darted up to the store sign, then back to her. He was almost positive that she was joking, that she'd come back regardless, but even with the prospect of three weeks together being just a day away, did he really want to risk letting her go now? "Fine."_

 _"Fine?" she asked in disbelief. 'Is he really giving in that easily?'_

 _"But, I have two conditions."_

 _She waited for him to continue._

 _"You never make me go in there again."_

 _Andy leaned a little closer to him, the tips of her fingers lightly trailing across his arm. Without even waiting for the second condition, she said, "I think I have a better idea."_

 _His eyes widened just a fraction, gaze sliding down to his arm before slowly making their way back up to her face, noting the mischievous glint in her eyes and the slight upward curve of her lips. "I'm listening."_

 _"Remember I said I bought a dress for the gala?"_

 _He merely nodded, trying to block out everything else that had happened recently, like the explosion that could have killed her._

 _"And something for underneath?" Andy continued._

 _His tongue darted to the inside of his cheek. He couldn't help it. There was something about her that had him frequently giving into her with very little persuasion, but with a pretty good idea of where her thoughts were heading now, he was already sold. Still, he waited to hear her out._

 _Andy's lips twitched. "Well..." She paused, drawing it out. "I think I might have some room left in my bag for the uh, the underneath part." Again, she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, making it perfectly clear where that would lead._

 _"You do, do you?" he asked, trying to keep a casual tone, but it wasn't exactly working. 'Smooth, Swarek'._

 _"Uh huh," Andy said, gnawing down on her lower lip as her eyes traveled from his eyes to his lips and back again._

 _Sam swallowed hard. The effect she had on him never got old. It periodically, or maybe even frequently, rendered him an idiot. Made him want to kiss her senseless. Among other things._

 _"Still like leopard print?" she teased, remembering the prostitution sting operation they did when she was a rookie and how he'd picked the leopard print over the green top._

 _His eyes widened. 'Is she serious?'_

 _"That's too bad then," Andy said slowly. "I was going to wear something else under it." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "But, I promise you'll still like it."_

 _When she moved to open the passenger side door, he reached for her and gently tugged her to him, kissing her softly._

 _She immediately responded, deepening the kiss. But, all too soon, she pulled away, groaning. "Store," Andy grunted._

 _With a small nod, Sam got out of the truck and met her on the sidewalk, feeling her hand slide into his as they walked toward the front door and stepped inside._

 _"Good morning, I'm Dave," an overly excited salesperson said as he bounded toward them. "Can I help you find anything today?"_

 _"We're—" Andy began._

 _"Perhaps a tent? Sleeping bags? Portable heaters? It sure is chilly out there at night. Bug spray? Floating bag to store all your belongings in while out on the lake? A tent? Did I say that already? How about a canoe? Kayak?"_

 _"No, we're—" Andy tried again._

 _"Electric marshmallow sticks?"_

 _Andy's eyebrows shot upward. "Why wouldn't you just roast them in a fire?"_

 _The salesman smiled at her. "It ensures your marshmallows are perfectly toasted on all sides." He paused. "Ever left one sitting in the fire for too long? Burnt it? That's the beauty of the electric marshmallow stick. You'll never eat a burnt marshmallow again. And they're only $29.95. Practically a steal."_

 _"Yeah, uh, no. I think we'll pass." Andy peered over the man's shoulder, then looked at Sam, nearly laughing at his expression: a mixture of disbelief and dismay, with a hint of impatience. And although it was rather hysterical, a prickle of guilt had her biting back even the smallest of smiles. It was with that guilt in mind, that she opened her mouth to put an end to the sales pitch, and thereby put Sam out of his misery. But, before she could speak, the guy was rambling again._

 _"How about a portable oven?"_

 _"The cabin—"_

 _"You can take it pretty much anywhere. It's small, easy to carry, and easy to clean."_

 _"—already has an oven," Andy finished. Squeezing Sam's hand, she whispered, "I'm going to..." She nodded to the side, indicating that she was going to grab what they needed so that they could get out of there faster. And, while she felt a little guilty for leaving him, especially after practically forcing him to come in with her, she knew that if they both stayed and waited for the guy to go through the entire store's inventory then they'd never make it home, or even to the cabin. After all, it was already clear that the man wasn't about to stop, no matter what they said. So, she tried to shove her guilt aside in order to get them out of there faster._

 _Sam nodded, blocking out the man's rambling as he watched her go. 'I promise you'll like it,' Andy's voice repeated in his head. 'Just focus on that', Sam silently told himself. When she finally vanished from sight, he let out a loud sigh. "You know, I think I'm just going to look around."_

 _'Freedom,' Sam thought, as he walked away, no sound of heavy boots following. "What the hell am I supposed to get again?" he muttered to himself._

 _Buzz._

 _His lips curled upward as he read the three words on his screen: 'Flashlights and batteries.' Now knowing what he was looking for, his eyes darted upward for some kind of indication as to where he could find them. Upon realizing that there weren't any signs though, he groaned rather loudly. 'I'm not asking for help.'_

 _Too late. "Need some help?"_

 _Sam jumped a little. 'Where the hell did he come from? Was he following me the entire time?' "Nope," he replied a little louder than intended, then quickly started walking down one end of the store, eyes darting down each aisle until he found Andy._

 _"Hey," she said, smiling over at him. "You okay?"_

 _He immediately stepped up to her, wrapped his arms around her, and buried his face in her neck. "Can we go now?"_

 _She let out a soft giggle. "I don't even have half the stuff on this list yet, and you don't even have one."_

 _"He followed me," Sam muttered, tilting his head a little so that he could kiss her neck._

 _"Maybe he has a crush on you," Andy teased, angling her head to give him more access. "Like Dov's old man crush. I mean, his former crush, not that you're old because you're not. Well, you're older than me, but you aren't old."_

 _Ignoring her rambling, he continued to press kiss after kiss against her skin, gradually making his way up to her jaw and then her mouth._

 _"You really want out of here, don't you?" she whispered, surprised by how affectionate he was being in public._

 _His only response was to press his lips to hers, one hand finding its way up to the back of her neck, while the other reached for her hip and pulled her body flush up against his. It started of soft and sweet, but soon became more heated._

 _"Five minutes," Andy breathed, her shoulders rising and falling heavily as she tried to regain her bearings._

 _With a small smile, he nodded. "Five minutes," he agreed, his tone a little husky._

 _"Uh…" Andy said, blinking hard in a bid to snap herself out of her lust-filled haze. "Aisle… umm…" 'Breathe. Focus. What aisle does he need to be in?'_

 _Sam chuckled. "You sure you wanna wait five minutes?"_

 _She swatted his arm playfully. "Six," she said loudly. "Go to aisle six first."_

 _He tugged her forward again, his lips hovering just an inch from hers._

 _"Sam," she breathed. 'At this rate, we won't make it home.'_

 _"McNally," he replied._

 _"We're gonna have three weeks to…"_

 _Grin on his face, he said, "So it is on your list of things to do?"_

 _"Shut up." The words had hardly left her mouth when his lips were on hers again. "At least I have a list."_

 _"So do I," Sam said with a smirk. Before she could argue, he added, "And that…" He gave her a pointed look. "… is it."_

 _"That's not a list if there's only one thing on it," she insisted, although she didn't mind it one bit._

 _"It is if it's repeated."_

 _Andy swallowed hard, struggling to keep her cheeks from becoming as red as the sleeping bag that she standing beside. She didn't even have a response. She wanted one, but she was blanking, her mind still too wrapped up in the way he'd been kissing her and what his plans were for the cabin._

 _"Four minutes, McNally," Sam said, biting back a laugh at the look on her face. When her teeth started to press down on her lower lip, he ran the pad of his thumb across it, gently pulling it free. "Four," he repeated before brushing his lips up against hers, then stepping back._

 _Drawing in a deep breath, Andy let her gaze slide back down to the basket and list in her hands. "Four," she echoed before spinning around and briskly walking toward the end of the aisle._

 _Chuckling, Sam turned, his expression immediately falling as his eyes landed on the associate... again. 'Doesn't this kid get it?'_

 _"Sleeping bags," Dave said, clapping his hands together. "Great way to snuggle up and keep warm."_

 _"Yeah," Sam said, reaching for a loose one and holding it up in an attempt to block the guy out._

 _"Oh, no, you don't want that one," Dave said, snatching it out of Sam's hand. "That's in our lower line. It's okay, but if you want a really solid bag, I'd recommend this one." He held up a blue one with five horizontal zippers._

 _"What the hell is that?" Sam blurted out._

 _"The 5-zip bag. It's great for nights when you don't want to feel too hot or too cold. Just unzip the appropriate section and stick a limb out without having to unzip the whole bag," Dave said, unzipping a section to demonstrate._

 _Sam stared at it for a long moment, positive that it was a joke, but the employee's expression suggested this was an actual thing that people bought. "Why wouldn't you just stick your arm out the top?"_

 _"What about your leg?" Dave challenged. "What if it gets warm?"_

 _"Yeah, you know, about that..." Sam said, his teeth grinding together. "I'll be in a cabin, with a real bed…" He nearly added that he might not be sleeping much anyway, but decided against it. Whether it was true or not, he'd only use that as a last resort to try to make the guy feel so uncomfortable that he'd just leave of his own accord. Well, no, that wasn't exactly true. As much as he'd love to see the guy's reaction to that, he didn't want to embarrass Andy._

 _"Ah, not an outdoors kind of guy, are you?"_

 _"What gave that away?" Sam muttered, glancing down at his phone to check the time before texting Andy to let her know that she had two minutes._

 _"I think I have the perfect thing for you," Dave said, his cheerful demeanour almost sickening to see._

 _"Better than the 5-zip sleeping bag?" Sam asked, the sarcasm in his tone clear. Dave was clearly an idiot. If he'd even stopped for one second, the guy would have realized that the only perfect thing in the store was something that couldn't be bought because it was something Sam already had... Andy. And while perfection was subjective, it was abundantly clear that no matter how Sam looked at things, she was perfect for him._

 _"I think you'll like it," Dave replied, waving him down another aisle._

 _When they stopped, Sam's mouth fell open. "If you're trying to sell me that…" He stopped and glanced at the tag. "...Solar powered cooling helmet, forget about it."_

 _"No, of course not. Someone like you, needs this," Dave said, reaching for a baseball hat with green material protruding from the end, making it look like a hat with a snout._

 _"You want me to look like a duck?" Sam said, completely dumbfounded. 'What on earth does Andy think she can actually buy from this place that's worthwhile?' He checked the time again. "What planet are—?"_

 _"You just put it on your head like this," Dave began, shoving the hat on Sam's head and holding it there. "And then you insert your mobile device on the end of the bill, and then you can watch videos without having to worry about the sun affecting your visibility. It means glare-free viewing, and it's great for people who don't like the outdoors, like yourself, because you can bring the inside world, outside. It's like a movie theatre experience."_

 _Brushing Dave's hand away, Sam yanked off the ridiculous hat, and tossed it back on the shelf. "Buddy, you don't invite your girlfriend to a cabin and then ignore her. That's a sure way to land in the doghouse. And, you couldn't pay me enough to even get me to touch that thing again."_

 _"Well, this, you'll want," Dave said, shoving a bottle into Sam's chest._

 _"Bear repellent?" Sam said with a laugh, unconsciously taking the item in his left hand._

 _"Could save your life. Give you long enough to get away," Dave replied._

 _Sam glanced at his phone again. 'Where is she?' he thought impatiently, but just as the thought occurred, he felt something tug on his right hand. Turning, he looked into Andy's big brown eyes, relief immediately flooding through him. 'Finally.'_

 _"Ready?"_

 _He nodded, allowing her to practically drag him to the checkout, both of them clearly eager to leave, though his reason had taken a dramatic shift in the last few minutes. Still, as they waited for all of their items to be rung through by their shadow, Dave, Sam couldn't help but say something to the man, even if it meant prolonging their departure by another minute."Aren't you gonna try to sell her that thing?" He nodded toward an item near the door._

 _"A dress that inflates and turns into a canoe?" Dave asked with a smile. "No."_

 _"But, you tried to…" He trailed off when he felt Andy squeeze his hand, silently reminding him of what he was delaying. Drawing in a calming breath, he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder, feeling some of his annoyance vanish._

 _"Let's go," Andy said quietly, just a minute later, letting him know that everything was paid for._

 _He nodded, then quickly steered her out of the store, already trying to put the thorn in his side behind him._

 _"Come again," Dave called after them._

 _"Unlikely," Sam muttered, which caused Andy to burst out laughing._

 _"Sam?" she said, suddenly stopping in her tracks, her laughter dying._

 _"Don't stop. Go. Just keep going." He tried to nudge her toward his truck._

 _"Sam?" Andy repeated, feet firmly planted on the sidewalk._

 _"What?" he mumbled against her neck as he pressed another kiss to it, only faintly aware that she was rummaging through the shopping bags. 'Why won't she just go?'_

 _"Where's the flashlight? And the batteries?"_

 _"Uh…" Sam bit down on the inside of his cheek, silently cursing._

 _"Seriously? You didn't get anything?"_

 _"I got…"_

 _"Bear repellent?" she asked, eyes wide as she turned to look at him. "We have to go back in."_

 _"No." He hadn't even meant to buy the bear repellent. It had just been in his hand when Andy had pulled him away, and somehow found its way onto the counter._

 _"Sam, we need flashlights and batteries."_

 _"We'll get them somewhere else, or tomorrow," Sam said._

 _"But we're here now and it will only take a minute, and then we can go home…" She threw the bag in the truck and wrapped her arms around him. "And we can…"_

 _"Fine. You get the flashlights, I'll get the batteries," Sam growled._

 _"Deal." She quickly sidestepped him, pressed a kiss to his cheek, and ran back to the entrance to the store._

 _"Never again," Sam muttered, ducking his head to hide his face as he re-entered the store. Thankfully, Dave seemed to already be busy harassing another customer, so Sam hastily made his way up and down the aisles, grabbing the first flashlight he saw before trying to find Andy. But, she was nowhere to be seen. "Come on, McNally," he grumbled, pulling out his cell phone and dialing her number, pausing when he heard her ringtone on the other side of the wall. Frowning, he went into the next aisle. "What the…?" His eyes landed on a furry, brown sleeping bag with a massive bear's head. "Who the hell buys this crap?"_

 _"Grrrrrr."_

 _Without warning, the bear head moved, causing Sam to jump backward, a loud curse escaping him._

 _And then the bag was shaking, laughter erupting from inside._

 _"McNally?" Sam said, half torn between laughing with her, and just carrying her out of the store like that. After all, she'd already delayed their departure... this time anyway._

 _The head moved again and the bear's jaws widened until brown eyes were suddenly staring back at him where the tongue should be. "Did I scare you?"_

 _"No," he replied, even though she kind of had._

 _"I did, didn't I? I got you good."_

 _Ignoring her, his hands moved to the zipper and within seconds, the obnoxious looking sleeping bag was off of her._

 _"_ _Easy there, Swarek," Andy teased. "Wait 'til we're home to take it off."_

Coming out of the memory, Andy smiled. "You know, I thought I made a good bear."

Sam looked up at her. "Really?"

"Well, in any case, you seemed pretty eager to get me out of that sleeping bag, so it had to have been kind of sexy, right?" Andy teased. "I mean, it makes me think how fast I'd be out of a leopard print—"

"We'll never know," Sam interrupted, cutting off her thought. They were in the middle of the lake and the last thing he wanted was to be thinking about her in leopard print.

"Won't we?" Andy asked, everything about her seemingly innocent as she let the paddle dip back down into the water.

Sam remained silent as he studied her, his insides squirming.

"It's just... I had a _really_ hard time deciding what to buy. Black, red…" She paused. "Green… leopard print." Hearing Sam suck in a breath, she smiled over at him. "So I bought more than one."

"I thought you said you went with something else?"

She smirked. "Do you really think I would've pulled out the big guns just to get you into _that_ store? Maybe to get you back in…"

"McNally?"

"Yeah?" she asked, her voice sweet.

"We're in the middle of a lake."

Andy glanced around. "Yup, still here." Her smile grew.

Tongue running across his teeth, he reached forward and grabbed the front of her shirt, yanking her toward him, but instantly regretting it.

Having only been perched on her knees and the tips of her toes, she stumbled, hands sprawling out to the sides in an attempt to regain her balance, but the movement caused the canoe to rock, which had Sam moving too quickly in the other direction.

 _Splash_.

The entire canoe had tipped, sending them tumbling into the water.

"Sam?" Andy said, shooting him a nervous smile when they both resurfaced and had the canoe facing the right way. "That bear repellent doesn't float."

His eyes scanned the area, but came up with nothing. _Great._

"I guess maybe we should have bought that floating bag after all." She paused, unable to keep keep the grin off her face. "But don't worry, this bear will protect you."

"You're never gonna let that go, are you?" he asked, as they awkwardly got back into the canoe.

"Only when you stop telling everyone I tried to kiss you when I tackled you."

"But, you did try."

"I did not," Andy said, letting her back fall against the floor of the canoe, the centreboard hovering over her kneecaps as she stretched her legs out beneath it. "And you know it."

"I like my version better," Sam said with a small shrug, inching toward her until his knees rested on either side of her hips and his hands were palm down on either side of her head, bracing himself as the soft waves gently rocked the canoe.

"Because you really wanted a complete stranger kissing you?"

"Because a pretty brunette caught my attention, took me down, and didn't make up for it... for a long time."

Her mouth fell open. "Yeah, and what about me saving your butt with Emily?"

"That partially made up for ruining my op," Sam said. "Not for failing to kiss me."

"Really?" she said with a small laugh.

"Yeah."

Reaching up, she placed one hand on either side of his face. But, just as she moved to tug his head toward hers, she hesitated. "I lied," she whispered.

He looked at her questioningly, but said nothing.

"You aren't what the Tin Man thought he was..."

"I'm not?" Sam asked. _What does that even mean? I know he's not the Scarecrow's knight in shining armour, but I thought she was saying I was hers? Or that I'm resilient. Solid. Stable. Something._

"No," Andy said softly, her fingers now trailing along his jaw. "You have a heart. A _big_ one. One of the biggest ones I've ever seen." Her left hand slid down until it rested over his heart. "And I've felt it, every single day."

"Wait," Sam said, jaw dropping a little. "You were calling me heartless?"

"Uh..." Andy studied his face. He was serious. He had no clue. _Oops._ "That's not... that's not, umm..."

His eyebrows knit in confusion. "Let me get this straight... The Scarecrow and the Tin Man, they _are_ partners, aren't they?"

"Partners?"

"Yeah," Sam said with a small nod. "They go skipping down a yellow road and fight a wizard or something ridiculous like that...?"

Andy couldn't stop the laughter from coming. _Clueless._ "Sure, Sam. They're partners. The best."

He merely nodded and leaned down to kiss her. "Good."

Before things could become too heated, she pushed on his chest a little, a question itching to pass through her lips. "How did you even know about the slippers?"

"Izzy. She kept tapping her heels together and saying some crap about going home. I didn't get it. She was already home," Sam said before kissing Andy again. And again. And again.

"Sam?" Andy asked quietly, shifting so that his head blocked the sun.

"Yeah?" he asked, letting his lips reacquaint themselves with hers in a series of tender kisses.

"You never..." Kiss. "...did say..." Kiss. "...what your..." Kiss. "...second..." Kiss. "...condition was..."

"Huh?" _I have a condition? Or two?_

"For going into the camping store… you said you had two conditions, but you only said one. What was the second one?"

A small laugh escaped him. _Oh, that._ "Guess you'll have to wait and see, won't you?"

"Why?"

He leaned down and brushed his lips up against hers. "Because, my little Scarecrow," he said quietly, kissing her softly again. "…the condition…" His lips hovered over hers as he looked into her eyes. "…is…" He nudged her nose with his, then kissed her, unable to stop himself from smiling into her lips. "…back at the cabin."

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.**

 **And, two things:**

 **First, I know it's a pretty shoddy one-shot, but between time being an issue, and my focus being more on updating my longer stories, my head wasn't completely in this one. So, my apologies.**

 **Second, I know it wasn't pure fluff. Pure fluff (no tension) and I don't really mix, but IF I do add a second chapter about what exactly Sam means by the condition being back at the cabin, then that one will likely be pure fluff. We'll see though. I'm hoping to do some regular updates soon as well, so next week could be one of my longer stories being updated, or it might be a second chapter for this one, etc. Well, that's the plan anyway. We'll see how much time I have. Anyway, I'll probably add a second chapter to this at some point, especially if you guys want it.**

 **Anyway, hope you survived the second episode of Rookie Blue!**

 **-E-**

 **Twitter - RB_ADI2DE**


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